Fade
Speaker
2025
Shape sound through simple placement
Fade is a wall-mounted speaker that turns on and adjusts its volume through the placement of an everyday object. When the surface is left empty, the speaker remains off and blends quietly into its surroundings. Placing an object on the surface activates the speaker and begins to play music. As the object is shifted along the horizontal plane, the volume changes in response, increasing or decreasing based on its position. This interaction subtly links sound to presence, allowing the object itself to shape the atmosphere through its placement.
Place an object
to gently awaken the music
Move it along the surface
to shape the volume
Problem
We turn on a light with a switch, a universal motion done without thought. Everything, from lamps to appliances, responds to the same tap or click. This flattens our relationship with lighting, carrying no emotion, texture, or sense of connection, and ultimately diminishing the quality of everyday living.
A gesture that lacks
connection and emotion
Design
Oppurtunity
Our daily lives are filled with small, familiar gestures like lifting, hanging, and placing. These everyday movements embody a sense of living, carrying memory, rhythm, and emotion.
By transforming these gestures into the way we turn on a light, we can reconnect illumination with feeling. Such simple and ordinary motions can become meaningful rituals, softening the moment a light begins to glow.
Reintroduce warmth through
everyday movements
Insight
Arranging a shelf is more than just organizing. It can become a quiet ritual, a moment of pause where each object is placed with care. This mindful act helps shape the atmosphere of a space, setting a tone through composition and presence.
Just as thoughtful arrangement can transform a room visually and emotionally, the speaker echoes this idea by transforming the environment through sound. When shelving becomes a way to interact with the speaker, placing an object not only brings a sense of order but also activates music with rich sound quality. In that moment, the space is reshaped, filled with presence, rhythm, and emotion. A simple act of arrangement becomes a sensory experience that defines the atmosphere.
Shelve as the natural movement
for bringing sound into the space
